I have a couple of kits that I call redundancies - I can just throw the kits in the car or luggage and go without having to worry about whether or not I forget some essential "stuff". There's stuff I have to pack, but this list cuts down on packing anxiety. I have way more hair picks and can openers than any human being can use because I've had to stop and buy one. I haven't checked these kits this spring and had to go buy toothpaste in Marquette...

Electric Stuff:

power strip

camera charger (this is the one thing I have to move, so I'm picking up another one

cell phone charger

computer power cord

iPod charger and sync cord

The power cord is an essential so that I don't have to pull out tables and things in a hotel room and use lots of outlets. I've left a cell phone charger in a room so I plug in one power strip and use that for all of my "pluggables." When it's time to leave, I grab the power strip and if I have everything attached to it, I have all my cords.

At the height of the Great Depression, the showman of a renowned circus leads his troupe through the devastated American landscape, lifting the spirits of audiences along the way. During their travels they discover a man without limbs at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed. Starring Eduardo Verástegui (Bella), Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four) and featuring the debut performance of Nick Vujicic.

Both of my kids appear to be on the "education track" and the I'm remembering the psychology professor I had last year. He knew his stuff; he was also an adjunct who happened to be the head of the special education programs for the country next to mine. With years of service under his belt, he was very unlike the academics who were getting their information out of a book.

These "parenting styles" have also applied to many teachers I've known so it's a good discussion to have with somebody on the teaching track.

The first (and worst) is "neglectful" parenting. The basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) are met, but other than that, the kid is mostly on their own.

Next is "permissive" parenting. There are few expectations of behavior and the child is rarely (if ever punished). At the end of the day, the parent caves. Children raised in "permissive" homes grow up unable to take responsibility for their own actions and immature.

The next two sound alike but in practice are not. And they are the most interesting because they can apply to so many different parts of life. From a job manager, to a teacher/college professor, to a board president, to a neighborhood association.

Of all the "parenting" styles, psychologists say "authoritative" is the ideal. An authoritative parent (or manager, or board member or elder) will clearly state boundaries and expectations, while giving those supervised the freedom to explore and learn within those boundaries. There are consequences that are known ahead of time for breaking the "rules" (if applicable) and two-way communication is not only welcome, but encouraged.

"Authoritarians" are just as good (or even better) at making rules and handing out consequences. The difference, however, is huge. Instead of discussion, the rules are stated with a "my way or the highway" attitude that discourages opinions that may affect the style of the manager/parent/board member.

The differences between "authoritative" and "authoritarian" (outside of the parenting arena) can be roughly illustrated by two difference church boards.

1) says that "X" is a good program and is recommended for personal growth. "Y" is also a good study guide and church 1) urges members and attenders to choose the group and study that best fits their needs.

2) drops everything that all small groups, studies, age groups and classes are doing for (whatever period of time) so that every single person that attends the church within that time frame will be doing "Z" program. Period.

In volunteer boards, this can mean a president who holds every bit of information close to the vest, so that other board members have a difficult time making informed decisions, vs. a president who distributes spread sheets and letters so that everybody who has to vote also has all the information available.

The "authoritative" v. "authoritarian" has a big impact on those who sit under these types of managers (or what ever authority structure a person is under). From a philosophical point of view, as a parent and educator, it bears thinking about what sort of authorit... I am.

My favorite coffee shop: Biggby (used to be Beaners - as in coffee beans) made the top 50! (they most likely had my help)

The Future 50, identified by Technomic, Inc. as the fastest growing chains with sales between $25 million and $50 million, includes 32 that defied the odds to grow sales by 20 percent or more in 2007. Of those, a dozen hit 40 percent or higher sales growth. As a group, they’re hot, they’re nimble and they’ve got what many of their large competitors don’t right now—momentum.

(Note: when Biggby changed their name, it was not because of a lawsuit, complaint or any such thing. It was because somebody told them that the name had the potential for being offensive and they did not want to offend anybody.)

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And MORE randomosity.

Dog bites man??? Not news.

Hippo bites woman? Okay. News.

The woman keeper was bitten about 9:45 a.m. in the outdoor hippo exhibit as she and colleagues were doing desensitizing training on Mahali, a 5-year-old male, to make dental work more comfortable for the hippo.